Family and church were Alpha Leidle’s life

PublishedFebruary 19, 2014

Alpha Leidle

Funeral services for Alpha R. Leidle, 97, of Selby, were held Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014 at Kesling Funeral Home.
Burial was in the Mound City Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge.
Alpha passed away Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014, at the Selby Good Samaritan Center.
Alpha Ruth (Wessel) Leidle was born on April 23, 1916, to John and Bertha (Werner) Wessel in Mound City. At the age of six weeks, the family moved to the farm of her paternal grandparents northeast of Mound City. There she grew up and attended country school. Alpha graduated from Herreid High Achool in 1935, after which she remained on the family farm.
Alpha and Jake Leidle were married at St. Paul’s Lutheran parsonage in Mound City on June 6, 1936. Twins, Gary and Sherry were born April 3, 1940. They continued to live with Alpha’s parents on the farm until April 1942, when they moved to Mound City where Jake taught school.
Alpha was a homemaker and devoted wife, mother and grandmother. Her family and church were her life. She tended an enviable vegetable garden each summer, and daily rode her bike around town. An excellent baker and cook of German foods, she delighted in always having treats for family and friends. She spent many hours sewing scrap quilts, which are used and treasured by her family.
Alpha was a devoted member of Zion Lutheran Church and the ladies aid.
Those blessed to have shared her love are her son, Gary (Mary) Leidle of Osceola, Wis.; daughter, Sherry (Quentin) VanOrman of Hot Springs; grandchildren, Kristi (Brian) Spitzer of Hot Springs, Scott (Leslie) VanOrman of Lander, Wyo., Tammi Cooley of Rapid City, Reed (Linda) Leidle of Osceola, Amy (Brendan) Aarons of North Andover, Mass.; great-grandchildren, Hayley (Brett) Merkel of Groton, Tobie Spitzer of Los Angeles, Calif., Jay Cooley of Rapid City, Brittany and Ryan Leidle of Osceola, Marisa and Giana Aarons of North Andover; and cousin, Omer Wessel, Mound City.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Jake in 1993, and her brother Hilmer.